


Shut Up and Dance With Me

by Aria_Lerendeair



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec is a horrible liar, Alec is a sappy boyfriend, Brief Songfic, Catarina is a goddess, Dancing, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, M/M, Sappy Ending, Wedding Feels, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21514531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: Alec is screwed.  He's so absolutely screwed.  His wedding is in a matter of hours and he's has to do a wedding waltz with Magnus, and he has no idea how to waltz.  Thankfully, Izzy has an idea.Magnus, meanwhile, has run into a handful of small bumps in the wedding planning that he needs some help sorting out.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 15
Kudos: 140





	Shut Up and Dance With Me

**Author's Note:**

> So this fic was inspired by the idea that I wanted to know how Maryse ended up walking Magnus down the aisle, and how Alec ended up waltzing so well with Magnus. 
> 
> Then I also came up with the idea of Alec singing Shut Up and Dance With Me - and decided to do a lyric re-write to fit it! [Here's a Link!](https://aria-lerendeair.tumblr.com/post/187191931470/malec-song-shut-up-and-dance)
> 
> (I'm addicted to the line "This Warlock is my destiny", hush.)

Izzy was keeping him distracted, burning time, and Alec knew it. He was grateful for it, even if he didn’t know the answers to half of her questions. 

“So what’s your first dance song going to be?” Izzy asked, leaning forward. “Have you been practicing?” 

“By the angel,” Alec swore, his eyes going wide in panic. The last time he had tried to dance with Magnus had ended in a spectacular failure. 

Izzy laughed. “I’ll take that as a no.” 

Alec scrambled out of his seat, looking around. “Iz, fuck, what am I going to do?” 

Izzy let her brother panic for a good five minutes before she took pity on him. “You’re going to go talk to Mom.” 

“Wh-what?” Alec stammered out, looking at her, pacing across the armory again. “Why?” 

“Because Mom taught me ballroom dancing when I was younger. She can certainly make you presentable in a few hours,” Izzy said, resting her elbow on the counter. “Better hurry up.” 

Alec rushed around and crushed Izzy into a hug, whispering into her hair, “You’re a lifesaver. I owe you.” 

Izzy snickered and watched him run, pulling out her phone to text her Mom to give her a heads up that she had a panicked groom coming her way. 

~!~

Magnus scowled and paced through his apothecary again, debating what he was supposed to do. Alec clearly wanted to be walked down the aisle, but since Catarina was going to be his best woman, he didn’t have anyone to ask. 

If only Ragnor-

Magnus cut off that thought and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He needed another opinion. Opening a portal, he went to the only place that he could. He didn’t know many other people who had planned a wedding in the past year or so. 

“Magnus?” Maryse asked, looking up in surprise. “Is everything all right?” 

Magnus slumped into one of the bookshop chairs and stared at the ceiling. “I have a problem, and it shouldn’t be a problem, but it is. And it’s making me sad, and I don’t want to be sad today.” 

Maryse walked around the counter and went to sit in the armchair next to him, reaching out to squeeze his arm. “Everything is all right with Alec?” 

“Oh yes, he’s perfect, Izzy is distracting him for a few hours,” Magnus said with a wave of his hand. “I ran into a...snag with the ceremony.” 

Maryse raised her eyebrows and turned towards him more. “The ceremony?” 

Magnus blew out a hard breath and closed his eyes. “Alec is being walked down the aisle by his father. As I’m sure you know, neither of my parents are alive.” 

Maryse hummed. 

“And the friend…” Magnus trailed off, his voice going quiet as he turned to look at her. “The dear friend I would have asked is no longer with us.” He blinked hard and exhaled. “Oh he would have _hated_ Alexander at first, but they’re so similar, I have no doubt that Alexander would have won him over.” 

“Magnus,” Maryse reached out and gave a small squeeze to his arm. “I’m sorry.”

Magnus nodded to her, giving a quick smile before continuing. “And, as your son keeps reminding me, this wedding has to be what we both want. I’d…” he swallowed and gave her a wry smile. “I want the chance to walk down the aisle to your son.” Magnus winked at her. “Properly this time.” 

Maryse laughed and winked right back at him. “You deserve to do it properly this time, Magnus.” 

“And I want to. But I don’t know how to...make that work in the ceremony?” Magnus offered, clearing his throat. “So I thought I’d come to you for advice.” 

Maryse thought about it for a long moment before an obvious solution struck her. She sat up more rigidly and smiled faintly. 

“Maryse?” 

She turned to Magnus. “I think I might have a solution for you. But first, tell me why you want someone to walk you down the aisle, instead of walking down yourself?” 

Magnus swallowed and looked down at his hands, twisting the Lightwood ring around his finger. “It is perhaps old fashioned, but…” he trailed off. “I enjoy the idea that someone in this life cared enough about me to walk the last few steps of the life I currently live with me, before I start my new one with Alexander.” 

Maryse blinked hard a few times and cleared her throat, reaching out to take Magnus’ hand and squeeze it. “Well, then I think there’s only one thing to do.” 

Magnus frowned at her. “Which is?” 

Maryse squared her shoulders and smiled at him. “Magnus Bane, I would be honored if you would allow me the joy of walking you down the aisle to meet my son.” 

Magnus’ eyes went wide and he stared at Maryse in shock before he blinked, slowly, and met her eyes. “You’d...be willing?” 

“Not just willing,” Maryse corrected. “I would _love_ to.” She squeezed his hand again. “Don’t forget, Magnus, today, you aren’t just marrying Alec.” 

Magnus tilted his head. “What do you mean? I’m-” 

“You’re marrying _into_ a family, Magnus,” Maryse told him, her voice soft. “How that looks and happens is obviously up to you and Alec. But we’re going to be a part of _your_ family Magnus.” 

“Shit,” Magnus muttered, pressing his fingers to his eyelids. He pointed a finger at Maryse without looking at her, taking a deep breath. “I did not use smudge-resistant liner this morning, you are _not_ allowed to make me cry.” 

Maryse smiled and squeezed his hand again. “I’m sorry. I certainly did not want to make you cry.” 

Magnus cleared his throat and opened his eyes again, blinking a few times before looking at Maryse Lightwood, the one woman alive who he would never have considered capable of this kindness a year ago. 

“Maryse, I would love nothing more.” He smiled at her. “The real trick tonight will be keeping your son on the dance-” 

“Mom!” Alec shouted, pushing the door open. “I need your help!” He skidded to a stop in the middle of the bookshop, looking between his Mom and Magnus. “Uh, hi?” 

Magnus chuckled. “Did you forget to give her the dress?” 

“No, no, I remembered that, she loves it,” Alec said absently, bouncing on his feet, nervous energy making him fidget. “But I kinda need her. Uh, alone.” 

Maryse raised both her eyebrows and stood up. “What is so urgent?” 

Alec shot a look at Magnus and then back to his Mom. “Uh. N-Nothing?” 

Magnus snorted. Alexander could truly be a horrible liar sometimes. “Shall I leave you to your nothing then?” 

Alec nodded over-eagerly. “Yes, yes please, that’d be great!” 

Magnus stood and summoned a portal, turning to the both of them. “I’ll see you both in a few hours?” 

Maryse looked at her oldest boy and glared, gesturing towards Magnus. Thankfully, he’d seemed to realize his mistake and was already halfway to Magnus. 

“Wait, wait, I mean, yes, of course, you’ll see me, uh, us, in a few hours,” Alec said, reaching out to take Magnus arm before he stepped away, pulling his fiance a step away from the portal before taking a deep breath. He could already feel the tips of his ears going red, but he managed to grit out. 

“I need to practice dancing with Mom so I don’t step on your feet,” Alec admitted, looking down at the floor, but raising his eyes to Magnus. “Nothing bad. Just, I want...it to be perfect. For you.” 

Magnus felt his heart do a frankly embarrassing flutter in his chest and any concern melted out of his shoulders. “Alexander,” he started, reaching out to touch Alec’s jaw. “It will already perfect, as long as I end up married to you at the end of it.” 

Alec blushed and leaned in to kiss Magnus softly, savoring the press of their lips together for a long, perfect moment. “I feel the same way,” he admitted. 

“Well,” Magnus said with a smile. “I have planning to finish, and you have some practice to get to. I’ll see you soon, Alexander.” 

Alec watched him go through the portal with a happy sigh, before turning back to his mother and her raised eyebrows. “Please, Mom? He deserves it being perfect.” 

Maryse gestured her son forward. “And I’ll make sure you can waltz perfectly before you’re due back at the Institute. Come here.” 

~!~ 

Magnus hummed and danced around the loft slowly, listening to the song on the gramophone before waving it to the next track. It had to be perfect. 

“Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?” 

Magnus turned to Catarina and grinned, waving a hand to quiet the music. “I’m trying to find our wedding waltz.” 

Catarina raised both of her eyebrows. "You haven't picked one yet?" 

"I'll know it when I hear it," Magnus said, frowning as he waved his hand again, swaying around the room. He took another sip of his wine. 

"Well, you know your future husband isn't going to care, he's going to be more worried about stepping on your feet," Catarina said. 

Magnus smiled and looked over at her. "Do you know, he came racing into his mother's shop while I was there, and wanted her to help him waltz so it'd be perfect for me?" 

Catarina rolled her eyes and groaned. "The two of you are disgusting." 

"I know," Magnus said, unable to keep from smiling again as he spun to a swell of the music. He flipped the track again and huffed. "Now I just need to find our wedding song." 

"Since you're the one who cares about the song that plays," Catarina said, waving her hand to change the track after a brief moment of focus. "How about your favorite?" 

Magnus paused and let his eyes flutter shut, listening to the soft strains of 'What A Wonderful World' float over him. He hummed and swayed to the music, having danced to it a hundred times. "It should be 'our' song, Catarina, not just mine." 

"Well," Catarina said. "If I know your shadowhunter at all, any song that puts a smile like that on your face is one that he would be happy to dance to." 

Magnus paused and turned to her, blinking in surprise before he laughed. "I suppose you are right. That will work perfectly well. It would make him happy too, to know that I picked something for myself." 

Catarina smiled and settled into one of Magnus' armchairs, watching him as he kept swaying to the song. "You're getting married, Magnus." 

Magnus stopped in the middle of the room and turned to face her. "I know. I still can't quite believe it, but I am." 

"In all the centuries I've known you, and all the relationships I've seen you in, I've never seen someone love you the way you deserve," Catarina said, her voice soft. "Until Alexander Lightwood showed up in your life." 

Magnus swallowed hard and met Catarina's eyes. "Cat..." 

"Come here," Catarina ordered, gesturing to the arm of the chair she was sitting in. Once Magnus was perched on the arm, she reached out to take his hand, squeezing it hard. "He would be happy for you." 

Magnus sucked in a hard breath, his eyes fluttering shut. "I wish he was here." 

"We both do," Catarina said, her voice soft. "But we remember him, and honor him, and know that he would have absolutely despised Alec at first, and Alec would have done everything to make Ragnor like him, and that would have only made Ragnor hate him more." 

Magnus gave a wet laugh, tightening his hand on Catarina's, letting her magic wash over him in a gentle, comforting wave. "You are absolutely right." 

"I know," Catarina whispered. "He's going to be there with you, Magnus. Even if not in presence, then in spirit. He wouldn't settle for anything else." 

Magnus nodded. "He would have complained the entire time about it being in the Institute." 

Catarina groaned and looked up at him. "I'm happy to take that role over! The Institute, Magnus, really? Are you that whipped by your boy?" 

Magnus burst out laughing, the melancholy of the moment fading away as Catarina continued to tease him about being unable to say no to Alexander. 

~!~

It was perfect, because there was no way that it would be anything else. Maryse walking him down the aisle, Jem officiating the wedding, their waltz, the way Alec smiled at him. All of it was perfect. 

Magnus slowly let them rock to a stop and melted into the kiss from Alec, his heart pounding happily. It was perfect, just as Alec had promised. When Alec pulled back though, he caught sight of a teasing grin and raised an eyebrow at him when Alec motioned for the dance floor to clear. 

“What’s all this?” 

Alec bit down on his lip and kissed Magnus again, soft and quick. “Izzy and Mom might have helped me pull together a surprise for you?” 

Both eyebrows now thoroughly raised, Magnus gave a grin and an indulgent wave of his hand. “I look forward to seeing what it is.” 

Alec nodded and took a deep breath, meeting Izzy’s eyes and giving her a thumbs up, taking a step away from Magnus. 

Magnus smiled and waited, and when the song started, his eyes widened as he recognized it, and even more so when Alec started singing - but with modified lyrics as he stepped in. When Alec pulled him close and took the lead, Magnus let himself be swept away. 

_Oh don’t you dare look back_

_Just keep your eyes on me_

_I said you’re holding back_

_He said shut up and dance with me_

_This **warlock** is my destiny _

_He said oh oh oh_

_Shut up and dance with me_

Magnus’ breath caught as Alec grinned at him, bright and shy and on-so wide, making sure that he heard the change in lyrics. He fought down a laugh as Alec winked at him and spun him around the dance floor easily, continuing to sing the lyrics to him. 

_We were victims of the night_

_The chemical, physical, kryptonite_

_Helpless to the bass and the fading light_

_Oh we were bound to get together_

_Bound to get together_

Magnus laughed, memories of Pandemonium and the first time seeing Alexander, and how he’d known almost immediately that the shadowhunter was his own personal kryptonite. By Alec’s rueful grin, he was likely thinking the same thing. 

_He took my arm_

_I don’t know how it happened_

_We took the floor and he said_

_Oh don’t you dare look back_

_Just keep your eyes on me_

_I said you’re holding back_

_He said shut up and dance with me_

_This **warlock** is my destiny _

_He said oh oh oh_

_Shut up and dance with me_

Alec let Magnus spin away from him before tugging the warlock back into his arms, moving them across the dance floor. Magnus’ eyes hadn’t left his face and he was still smiling, so he couldn’t be doing too ridiculous. 

He cleared his throat and leaned in, singing the next set of lyrics that he’d re-written with Izzy a hundred times over, because it was everything he’d felt in the beginning, and more. 

_A leather jacket and some beat up sneaks_

_My desperate clung to teenage dream_

_I felt it in my chest as he looked at me_

_I knew we were bound to be together_

_Bound to be together_

Magnus’ grin was incandescent and Alec grinned back at him, stealing a kiss. He’d gotten it. He understood. Because of course he did. He always did when it was about the two of them. 

_He took my arm_

_I don’t know how it happened_

_We took the floor and he said_

_Oh don’t you dare look back_

_Just keep your eyes on me_

_I said you’re holding back_

_He said shut up and dance with me_

_This **warlock** is my destiny _

_He said oh oh oh_

_Shut up and dance with me_

_Oh, c'mon man_

“You’ll have to tell me how you managed to pull this off, later!” Magnus called, laughing as Alec spun him again, and he ducked under Alec’s arm until he was tucked securely in his arms again. 

“Might, might be a few runes involved,” Alec said, winking at Magnus before he sobered up as the next set of lyrics started. They were important. 

_Deep in his eyes_

_I think I see the future_

_I realize this is my last chance_

_He took my arm_

_I don’t know how it happened_

_We took the floor and he said_

Magnus’ eyes were golden and luminous and Alec swallowed hard, leaning in to kiss him, hard and quick. They were both thinking of another wedding, one where he’d waited until his very last chance, but he’d taken it and now they were here, together. 

_Oh don’t you dare look back_

_Just keep your eyes on me_

_I said you’re holding back_

_He said shut up and dance with me_

_This **warlock** is my destiny _

_He said oh oh oh_

_Shut up and dance_

Alec sang the last few lines of the song until he and Magnus finally spun to a stop, groaning when their reception burst into applause. He flushed and turned to find Magnus still looking at him. 

Magnus shook his head, tugging Alec closer and down and into a soft kiss. “You, my dear Alexander, continue to surprise me.” 

Alec relaxed, leaning into the kiss. “In good ways, I hope?” he whispered. 

“The very best,” Magnus confirmed. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
> Come join a Multifandom Discord Server -  
> [The Fandom Playhouse!](https://discord.gg/82pvdE39fD)
> 
> You can find me here:  
> [AriaLerendeair](http://arialerendeair.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And on twitter over here:  
> [Aria_Lerendeair](https://twitter.com/Aria_Lerendeair)


End file.
